Switch-operating mechanism.



PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905.

J. P. LOWE.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4,1904.

2 SHEBTBSHBET 1.

Inventor Meii:

1 .i a 3 NQ Witnesses No. 781,885. PATENTED'PEB. 7, 1905. J. P. LOWE.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION nun) MAY 4. 1904.

2 BHBBT8-8HEBT 2.

- J50 -3 J7 /J L r- A M A IIIIIIIIII/IIIII I Wiknesses L} Inventor WHttornegs UNITED STATES Patented February '7', 1905.

PATENT QEEIQE.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,835, dated February'7, 1905.

Application filed May 4,1904. Serial No. 206,385.

To (all who), if 11111.1 concern:

Be it known that I, J os EPH PAXTON Lowe, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at South Seattle, in the county of King and State ofll'ashington, have invented a new and useful Switch-Operating Mechanism,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch-operating devices of that class whichare connected with cars and adapted to be operated either from theplatform or from the inside of the car to which it is attached forthepurpose of setting the switch in advance of the car withoutnecessarily stopping the latter.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of this class whichshall be adapted to set or throw a switch either at the right or theleft hand side of the track and which shall, moreover, be capable ofbeing adjusted to various positions. so as to operate the switch of asiding turning either to the right or to the left from the main line, asthe case may be.

\Vith these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention becomes better understood, the same consists inthe improved construction and novel arrangement and combination ofparts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of embod iment of the invention,it being understood, however,thatno limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural detailstherein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes,alterations, and modifications which may be resorted to within the scopeof the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the same.

In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective front view of the improvedswitch-operating device attached to a car, portions of the latter havingbeen broken away for the purpose of more clearly showing the parts ofthe invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. t is a vertical sectionalview taken on the line a at in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical transversesectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. i. Fig. 6 1s a perspectivedctail view, enlarged, showing one of the switchoperating members andthe operating mechanism connected with the same. Fig. 7 is a perspectivedetail view of the pivoted headblock for actuating the switchoperatingmembers.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumerals of refer- My improved switch-operating device includes abed-plate or base-plate l. which is firmly secured in a suitableposition to the body 2 of the car and which is provided with a pluralityof forwardly-projecting studs 3 3, having shoulders or otl'sets t. Thestuds 3 serve to support a frame-plate 5, which is provided with slots(5 (3, alining with the studs 3 and engaging the shoulders or offsets lof the latter so as to be supported at a suitable distance from thebase-plate in such a manner as to be capable of sliding laterally uponthe reduced ends of the latter. The frame-plate 5 is connected with thestuds of the base-plate by means of cotter-pins or keys 7 passingthrough the red uccd front ends of the latter. The frame-plate 5 isprovided with a plurality of posts 8 for the support of a face-plate 9,having perforations 10 for the passage of stud-bolts ll, engagingscrewthreaded recesses in the posts 8, thereby securing the face-platefirmly to the frame-plate 5 and coifipcrating therewith to constitute aframe which is laterally slidable upon the studs of the baseplate.

The face-plate, the frame-plate, and the base-plate are each providedwith perforations 12, which arein alinement with each other and whichaflord bearings for a shaft 13. extending rearwardly under the floor ofthe car or car-platform, as the case may be. In the drawings the devicehas been shown as applied to a carplatform, which is provided with atransverse slot 1% for the passage of an operating-lever 15, whichextends up wardly from the rear end of the shaft 13. The latter has anadditional bearing in a stirrup 16, which is connected with the loweredge of the face-plate, and upon said shaft, between the stirrup and theface-plate, is mounted a rocking head l7, which is composed of a rearmember 18 and a front member 19, which are connected and spaced apart Ithe frame-plate 5, through which latter it exby means of a pair of bolts20 and 21, carrying antifriction-rollers 22.

The face-plate is provided adjacent to .the sides of the rocking head 18with forwardlyextending pins 23 and 24, upon which are fulcrumed a pairof levers 25 and 26, the outer ends of which are supported upon the endsof a leaf-spring 27, which is suitably supported upon and connected withthe stirrup 16. The inner ends of the levers 25 and 26 extend over andare normally supported upon the friction-rollers upon the bolts 20 and21.

Suitably connected with the upper part of the face-plate 9 are a pair oflaterally-extending brackets 28 28, carrying vertically-disposed sleeves29. Similar sleeves 30 are supported in perpendicular alinement with thesleeves 29 by means of brackets 31, extending laterally from the lowerpart of the faceplate. The latter brackets are made of resilientmaterial, such as spring-steel, in order that the sleeves and themembers supported therein may be capable of yielding slightly for thepurpose to be hereinafter described. Loosely supported in the sleeves 2930 at either side of the face-plate are vertically-disposed rods 32 and33, provided at their outer ends with flattened sharp-edged members,which 1 designate the spades34 and 35, which are adapted to enterbetween the rails and the switches for the purpose of moving the latterto the desired position by a simple quarterturn of the spade-carryingmember. The spade-carrying rods or members 32 and 33 are extendedthrough slots 36 near the outer ends of the levers 25 and 26 and areprovided above said levers with collars 37, fixed thereon by means ofset-screws 38 or equivalent means, whereby they may be set and adjustedto various positions, said collars being provided withlaterally-extending arms, designated, respectively, 39 and 40, andprovided with vertical slots 41 and 42. At a suitable distance below thelevers the rods 32 and 33 are provided with washers 43, supported upontransverse keys or pins 44, to prevent the displacement in an upwarddirection of said spade-carrying rods or members.

Pivotally connected with the frontmember 19 of the rocking head 17 are apair of laterally-extending arms or levers 45 and 46, each 5 the rearside of the face-plate 9 and also with tends rearwardly through a slot52 in the baseplate. The rear end of the rod 51 is pivotally connectedwith the lower end of a lever 53, which is fulcrumed to any suitablefixed point, in the present instance upon the apron of the car-platform.The upper end of the lever is provided with a button or operatinghandle54 and it is capable of being adjusted at either side of a central stop55 andpractically in contact with either one of two end stops 56 and 57,whereby the upper end of the operating-lever, which in the presentinstance may be described as being made of resilient material, may beretained in adjusted position, thus securing in adjusted position theframe comprising the plates 5 and 9 and related parts, which by means ofthe said lever may be moved laterally within the limits of the length ofthe slots 6, working upon studs 3 and supporting the slidablc framecarrying the operating mechanism in proper position upon the base-plate.

The parts of the device are to be so disposed and adjusted that when thecarrying-frame, including the plates 5 and 9 and related parts, is atone end of its movement the switch of a siding turning to the right fromthe main line shall be capable of being operated by the switch-operatingmembers. hen the carrying-frame is at the opposite limit of itsmovement, the switch-operating members will be adapted to operate theswitch of a siding turning to the left from the main line. It will beseen that provision is made for operating a switch either at the rightor the left side of the track; but only one switch is actually operatedat any one time, as will be readily understood.

To operate this device, the carrying-frame is adjusted, by means of thelever 23, so as to be capable of operating a switch upon the next sidingor at the next divergent track to be encountered. When the switch isapproached, the car is slowed down, and when the switchoperating rod 32or 33, as the case may be, is directly over the point of theswitch-tongue the lever 15 is manipulated to rock the head 17 in theproper direction, thus causing one of the roller-carrying pins 20 or 21to bear against the under side of one of the levers 25 or 26, depressingthe outer end of such lever until by bearing against the washer 43 theswitchoperating member will be depressed against the tension of theleaf-spring 27 between the switch-tongue and the adjacent rail. Shouldthe switch-tongue have become slightly displaced, the resiliency of thelower bracket 31 will permit the spade 34 or 35 to yield slightly and toenter properly between the switchtongue and the adjacent rail. At thesame time the link 45 or 46, connected with the slotted armextending'from the switch-carrying member which is being operated, will,being drawn in an inward direction by the tilting action of the head 17,with which it is connected, impart to said switch-operating member aquarter-turn, causing the switchtongue to be instantly set to the properposition, when the car, properly guided, may proceed upon its way.

As will be seen from the foregoing description. this device is simple inconstruction and may be easily applied to cars of ordinary constructionwithout material alterations of any kind. By this device switches of anykind and located in any ordinary manner may be set or operated withoutstopping the car and without the necessity of the conductor or motormanleaving his post. The switchoperating members, as will be observed, movein a straight vertical direction and will unfailingly enter between theswitch-tongues and the rails and actuate the former in the mannerdescribed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. frame, arocking head connected pivotally therewith, vertically-adjustable and partially-rotatable switch-operating members supported by the frame, andlevers fulcrumed upon the frame and connected with the rocking head andwith the switch-operating members which are thereby actuated.

2. frame, sleevesupporting brackets extending laterally from the upperpart of said frame, resilient sleeve-supporting brackets extendinglaterally from the lower part of said frame, and switch-operatingmembers journaled in the sleeves.

3. A frame having laterally extending sleeve-supporting members,switch-operating members mounted rotatably in the sleeves and providedat their lower ends with switch-operating devices, and means forsimultaneously depressing and partly rotating the sleeveopcratingmembers.

4. A frame, vertically-movable and partlyrotatable switch-operatingmembers connected with said frame, collars connected adjustably withsaid members and having laterallyextending slotted arms, a rocking headconnected with the frame, links connected with said rocking head andhaving slotted prongs connected loosely with the slotted arms ex tendingfrom the. switch-operating members, levers connected pivotally with theframe, supported at their inner ends upon antifriction members connectedwith the rocking head and provided at their outer ends with slotsincluding the switch-operating members, and washers supported upon thelatter below the outer ends of the levers.

A base-plate having studs, a frame having slots slidably engaging saidstuds and supported upon the latter, switch-operatii'igmemhers carriedby said frame, a rod connected with the latter, extending rearwardlyfrom the same, a lever fulcrumed to a fixed point and connected withsaid rod, and means for adjusting said lever and for retaining itinadjusted position to secure the frame carrying the switch-operatingmechanism at either limit of its movement.

6. A frame carryingswitch-operatingmechanism including verticallymovable and partly-rotatable switch-operating members, levers connectedwith said frame, supporting and adapted to effect the vertical movementof said levers, and aleaf-spring supporting said levers.

7. A frame, a rocking head connected with said frame, a stirrup(.lepending from the latter, vertically-movable and partly-rotatableswitch-operating members supported by the frame, levers fulcrumed uponthe frame and having slots including the switch-operating members,suitably-supported washers upon the latter, antifriction membersconnected with the rocking head and supporting the inner ends of saidlevers, a leaf-spring supported by the stirrup and supportingthe outerends of said levers, and means connected with the rocking head foreffecting partial rotation ofthc switch-operating members.

8. A frame, vertically-movableand partlyrotatable switch-operatingmembers supported by said frame, levers fulcrumed upon the frame andhaving slots including the switchoperating members, collars adjustableupon the latter above the levers and having laterallyextending arms,washers supported upon the switch-operating members below the lovers, astirrup depending from the frame, a shaft journaled in said stirrup andin the frame and having an operating-lever at its rear end, a rockinghead mounted upon said shaft adjacent to the frame, antifriction membersconnected with said rocking head and supporting the inner ends of thelevers engaging the switch-operating members, a leaf-spring supported bythe stirrup an d supporting the outer ends of said levers, and linkconnections between the arms extending from the collars upon theswitch-operating members and the corners of the rocking head.

9. A base-plate, a laterally-movable frame supported by said baseplate,vertically-movable and partly-rotatable switch-operating members carriedby said frame and adapted to engage switches at the right and left handside of the track, a shaft journaled in said frame and slidable througha slot in the baseplate, a hand-lever connected with said shaft, arocking head mounted upon the latter, and means connected with saidrocking head for actuating the switchoperating members.

In testimony that '1 claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH PAXTON LOWE.

\Yitnesses:

JAY Tom), J. H. Tom),

